Ideation Business Analyst

NYC Administration for Children's Services; New York (NY); On-site; USD 107,000 - 123,000; Full time

Job summary

NYC Administration for Children’s Services seeks an Ideation Business Analyst to identify, evaluate, and refine innovative technology solutions aligning with ACS operations. You’ll translate requirements into functional specs, collaborate with stakeholders, and drive technology-driven improvements across ACS and partner organizations.

Reporting to the Director of Technology Ideation, you’ll work with internal teams and vendors to assess feasibility and ensure business-technology alignment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 24 CS credits and 2+ years software experience.
• High school diploma with 6+ years software experience, including leadership on a project.
• Combination of education and experience that satisfies above requirements.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with stakeholders to analyze business needs and recommend improvements.
• Lead sessions to define project scope with business units and technical teams.
• Develop BRD and user stories; create process maps and screen mockups.
• Coordinate with Relationship Managers and Project Managers for alignment.
• Support UAT, create test cases, document defects, and suggest improvements.

Skills

Business analysis

Technology ideation

SDLC/Agile

Stakeholder comms

Cross-functional work

Education

Baccalaureate degree with CS credits

HS diploma with 6+ years software experience

Education/Experience equivalence

Tools

MS Visio

Canva

Axure

Power Platform

Dynamics 365

Salesforce

Job description

THE SELECTED CANDIDATE WILL BE OFFERED A SALARY BETWEEN $107,137.00-$123,208.00

THIS POSITION IS ONLY OPEN TO CANDIDATES WHO ARE PERMANENT (NOT PROVISIONAL) IN THE COMPUTER SPECIALIST (SOFTWARE) TITLE.

The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) protects and promotes the safety and well‑being of children and families through child welfare and juvenile justice services and community supports. ACS manages community‑based supports and foster‑care services, and provides subsidized child‑care vouchers. ACS child protection staff respond to allegations of child maltreatment. In juvenile justice, ACS oversees detention, placement and programs for youth in the community.

The New York City Administration for Children’s Services of Office of Information Technology (OIT) department has the responsibility to provide high quality, reliable, sustainable technology services, and support to meet the needs of the families and children we serve through ACS and its vendor partners and other city agencies. The Center for Technology Ideation and Management (CFTIM) unit devises the IT strategy and roadmap, bringing to fruition transformative and innovative technology solutions that are aligned with the Agency’s missions. This is accomplished through four key areas Relationship Management, Technology Ideation, Enterprise Architecture, and Project Management.

The Ideation Business Analyst will play a key role in identifying, evaluating, and refining innovative technology solutions to improve ACS’s operations. This role bridges the gap between technology and business needs by conducting research, gathering requirements, and translating ideas into functional specifications that drive technology‑driven improvements. Reporting to the Director of Technology Ideation, the Ideation Business Analyst will collaborate with internal stakeholders, technical teams, and vendors to assess the feasibility of new ideas, ensure alignment with business objectives, and facilitate the implementation of solutions that enhance service delivery across ACS and its partner organizations.

Key Responsibilities Will Include But Not Limited To

• Collaborate with stakeholders to analyze business needs and recommend process improvements.
• Lead sessions to define project scope and objectives with business units and technical teams.
• Develop business requirements, functional specifications, and system documentation.
• Create process maps, screen mockups, and user stories for effective communication with development.
• Work with Business Relationship Managers, Project Managers, and other stakeholders to ensure alignment between business needs and technical solutions.
• Participate in User Acceptance Testing (UAT), develop test cases, and validate solutions while documenting defects and recommending improvements before deployment.
• Provide training and support during system rollout.
• Develop and maintain documentation, including business requirement documents (BRD) and user guides.
• Support training material creation and conduct train‑the‑trainer sessions.

Additional Information

Section 424-A of the New York Social Services Law requires an authorized agency to inquire whether a candidate for employment with child‑caring responsibilities has been the subject of a child abuse and maltreatment report.

The Administration for Children’s Services is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing access to all individuals.

COMPUTER SPECIALIST (SOFTWARE) - 13632

Minimum Qualifications

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college, including or supplemented by twenty‑four (24) semester credits in computer science or a related computer field and two (2) years of satisfactory full‑time software experience in designing, programming, debugging, maintaining, implementing, and enhancing computer software applications, systems programming, systems analysis and design, data communication software, or database design and programming, including one year in a project leader capacity or as a major contributor on a complex project; or
• A four‑year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and six (6) years of full‑time satisfactory software experience as described in “1" above, including one year in a project leader capacity or as a major contributor on a complex project; or
• A satisfactory combination of education and experience that is equivalent to (1) or (2) above. College education may be substituted for up to two years of the required experience in (2) above on the basis that sixty (60) semester credits from an accredited college is equated to one year of experience. A masters degree in computer science or a related computer field may be substituted for one year of the required experience in (1) or (2) above. However, all candidates must have a four year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, plus at least one (1) year of satisfactory full‑time software experience in a project leader capacity or as a major contributor on a complex project.

NOTE: In order to have your experience accepted as Project Leader or Major Contributor experience, you must explain in detail how your experience qualifies you as a project leader or as a major contributor. Experience in computer operations, technical support, quality assurance (QA), hardware installation, help desk, or as an end user will not be accepted for meeting the minimum qualification requirements.

Special Note

To be eligible for placement in Assignment Level IV, in addition to the Qualification Requirements stated above, individuals must have one year of satisfactory experience in a project leader capacity or as a major contributor on a complex project in data administration, database management systems, operating systems, data communications systems, capacity planning, and/or on‑line applications programming.

Preferred Skills

• Experience in business analysis, technology ideation, or a related role for 2+ years.
• Experience with requirements documentation, wireframing tools, business process modeling, and prototyping using tools such as MS Visio, Canva, Axure.
• Ability to assess complex business challenges and translate them into structured technology solutions.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills to facilitate stakeholder discussions and documentation.
• Ability to work cross‑functionally with IT teams, business users, and external vendors to drive successful implementations.
• Strong experience in system planning, testing, and implementation with a solid understanding of the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and Agile methodologies.
• Expertise in design thinking, creative problem‑solving, and process improvement methodologies.
• Familiarity with CRM and Case Management Systems.
• Knowledge of platforms like Microsoft Dynamics 365, Salesforce, or Power Platform is a plus.

55a Program

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

New York City Residency is not required for this position.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual’s sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

, $103,765.00 – $134,622.00